1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single-use valve device.
Already known are single-use valves, for example of the decompression valve type, the operation of which requires using pyrotechnic means in which moving parts for opening or closing the valve are generally retained by fuse elements. These existing valves have drawbacks, namely in that their tightness cannot be guaranteed, and in that the use of pyrotechnic means should therefore be prohibited in some fields, depending on the nature of the fluid to cause to circulate.
The present invention relates more particularly, but non-restrictively, to the field of valves used in the spatial industry, whether they are normally closed or normally open valves, which must meet determined specifications.
Thus, optimally, besides the fact that the opening and closing must occur in a secure way, such a valve must meet the following technical objectives:                absence of sealing system with a gasket (presence of a continuous metallic barrier between the fluid and the exterior of the valve, whether it is closed or open after operation),        absence of external pollution due to the operation of the valve,        absence of internal pollution due to the operation of the valve,        limitation of the impacts induced by the operation of the valve,        compatibility of all materials with the fluids to be controlled.        
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
The single-use valves known to date have some of these features, but not all.
Thus known are, for example, the single-use valves described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,302,171, 6,260,570 and GB 2 424 692, which each comprise a firing pin capable, through its displacement, of piercing a membrane or a cap under the action of a driving means controlled by a trigger. However, none of these valves is perfectly tight and cannot meet the aforementioned specifications.